Counterbalace
by morbidsweetie13
Summary: Gift fic for VanillaStartos. (This doesn't follow the canon timeline that will link to Xiaolin Chronicles.) Summary: Four elements creates harmony. Balancing nature like light and dark but what if there's a shadow looming behind them? With the threat of Chase Young and Heylin already under their belt, are they strong enough to fight the new evil? Adv/Rom/Friend/Act/Humor.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: My fic gift for _**VanillaStratos**_. This is for you girl!

This storyline does not connect with Xiaolin Chronicles because in my opinion, it sucks. Sigh, I want the old Xiaolin Showdown back :( Anyways, I dunno if this is gonna be a one-shot or a multi-chappie. You decide bros and sis'

Disclaimer: Well, I'm not Christy Hui... Or am I?! (Checks birth certificate) ... Nah, I'm not.

* * *

**Counterbalance**

* * *

The thundering sound of a vase being smashed echoed throughout Chase Young's citadel. The jungle cats winced and some cowered as the Heylin dragon proceeded to smash and destroy everything he touches. His patience had reached its end and the time for waiting is over. Those monks have been thwarting his plans for far too long and he's not going to waste another millennia just because four teenagers kept getting in his way. Those Shen Gong Wu, or trinkets as he might call it, was their objectives and now they're planning to separate to different places in order to cover more grounds. His reluctant decision of teaming up with Jack Spicer (that insignificant insect), Wuya (the annoying witch) and... Hannibal Roy Bean was something he never thought he would stoop to a level with since he had always prided himself of being independent from outside resources. Still, there is greatness in numbers and they have proven themselves capable enough (except Spicer who kept proving himself to be incompetent).

He paced around his playroom, paying no attention as Jack watched him from the doorway with his hands in the pocket of his black cloak. The self-proclaimed evil boy genius frowned as he heard Wuya and Hannibal Bean argue (yet again) about how to take those xiaolin goody-goodies down. He felt a little downhearted since he did share a couple of good times with those monks (except when they kicked his ass in every showdown) they even let him in (although grudgingly) to their side a couple of times and he felt for once he can be treated like an actual person, not being bossed around, or punched, kicked, hissed or roared at.

A vibration came on his pocket and he fished out his phone to read a message from his mom. He groaned sadly as he realized he's gonna miss meatloaf night; his mom made the best meatloaf and it was that one night every week where his parents weren't off at work or business trips, hell, he almost forgot what they looked like.

"-I still say we crush 'em like bugs!" Hannibal's irate voice distracted his train of thought and he let out a high-pitched scream when a small boulder was thrown to his direction. Dodging with skills that took years of practice to achieve, he looked over to where in seven blazes it came from and saw behind the gigantic hole that Wuya with a furious expression on her face and her hands glowing in an eerie green light against Hannibal who was crossing his arms and morphed in his 'big bean' form, both glaring down at one another.

"Chase isn't gonna like this..." Jack muttered.  
-

* * *

**_-x-_**

Omi tugged his ki tightly and triple checked all the Wu he will bring along with him; the Orb of Tornami, Glove of Jusaku, Shroud of Shadows, Shimo Staff and his newly acquired Kaijin Charm. Master Fung instructed them to bring only a limited number of Wu and the rest will be for safe keeping. He frowned somewhat as he felt a foreboding feeling that crept into his heart. The final battle between the Xiaolin and Heylin will arrive soon and they have to be prepared, even when they have been training day and night, Chase Young still bested them.

Chase...

The young man had been a good friend to him even for a short period of time and that smile he wore at the last showdown... it's possible that he might have some good left inside him. Somewhere deep, deep, deeeeeep down.

He paused his continuous tugging as a thought formed in his mind. 'Maybe I can still persuade Chase Young to come to our side!' a smile started to form on his face but it dropped when he thought of what the others might say. Normally he would have gone straight to Master Fung about this and damn about what the others will say but now they have a leader, they should discuss this as a team.

While Omi was contemplating in their room, Clay was busy packing some food for his trip as well. In his knapsack were the Fist of Tebigong, Longyi Kite, Big Bang Meteorang, Third Arm Sash and his Longhorn Taurus. Dojo, who was napping on his shoulder, woke up with a loud yawn and scratched his belly, "You're all packing already huh?"

"That's right, we better be prepared in case trouble comes along the way." Dojo nodded, "Yeah, shame you four had to separate. But if it is to cover more grounds..." he trailed off.

Clay gave him a small smile, "It's not so bad Dojo. Plus we took transport with us, you're gonna be staying with Omi" he pointed out to the green dragon.

"Oh yeah. By the way, how's the new leader taking the responsibilities?" he asked as he jumped up to the cowboy's ten gallon hat. The straw-haired teen shrugged as he closed his bag, "He's somewhere near the gardens. I think he's still trying to take in everything"

"Mm, well for a slacker, he's the guy suited for the job. I mean, the Fung-ster did pick him"

_**-x-**_

In the serene gardens of the Xiaolin Temple, Raimundo sat near the edge of the pond and was currently meditating. He cleared his mind and let his chi flow freely through his entire system. His rhythmic breathing and the sound of leaves rustling with the wind was the only thing he could hear. He cracked open one eye as he suddenly heard soft footfalls coming towards him. His mouth curled upwards as he took in the petite form of Kimiko. She returned his grin and sat next to him.

"Hey" he greeted with a nod.

She suddenly landed a soft punch on his arm with a smirk, "Hey yourself, oh great leader."

Raimundo blinked a few moments at her before he let out a large sigh and placed his knees in front of him, "Leader huh?" Kimiko's face folded into a questioning gaze and peered at him, "Rai? Is something wrong?" Raimundo swept through his brown hair with his hand before he brought it to his knees, "I can't believe Master Fung made me leader. I mean, look at me Kim. Sure I'm awesome and I can do great moves-"

"Woah, don't beat yourself up" she interjected in a sarcastic tone

"-but I didn't think I would be made into Shoku rank before you guys" he continued, "Plus, I'm not the 'go to guy' right?" He quickly took a double take when she gave him an 'Are You Kidding' look. She shook her head and gave a quirky sort of smile and smirk, "Rai, you just saved all of our lives last time, practically led us to victory! You're pretty amazing" she praised. He couldn't believe his ears. Here, Kimiko Tohomiko; xiaolin dragon of fire, secret crush and the girl who gets annoyed every time he brags about himself just gave him a pep talk and actually called him amazing. He felt a slight flush colouring his cheeks and gingerly rubbed the back of his head and stared at the pond's crystal surface with a shy smile on his lips, "Y-you really think so?" he asked, mentally kicking himself for stuttering.

Meanwhile, Kimiko was having a field day in her mind. The usual calm, laid-back, smooth talking Brazilian was now stuttering and he looks almost… cute. As soon as the word entered her consciousness, she suddenly felt warmness around her cheeks. She cleared her throat and stood up, cleaning up the bottoms side of her robes to avoid grass stains and avoided eye contact to Raimundo;

"We-we better pack our things- Uh, Master Fung must be waiting!" she all but squeaked as she walked briskly out of his view, hoping he wouldn't notice the shade of red on her face.

Rai just stared at her retreating back and asked himself, "What's with her?"

* * *

Master Fung stood by the entrance of the Shen Gong Wu vault.

The wind blew gently though his face, tangling with his moustache and goatee, his eyes closed as he prepared for the coming storm. And they did arrive. Three monks, older than him, give or take five to seven years walked towards his direction and bowed. "Master Fung, it has been so long" The tall man wearing a white robe said. Fung bowed as well, "Indeed it has Master Min Yen, and I trust that all of you haven't encountered any troubles along the way?"

The other man who was shorter than Master Min Yen stepped forward with a hand in front of him, "I do not mean any disrespect Master Fung but we came here to train the xiaolin dragons. Where are they?" he said in a gruff tone. Master Fung raised a brow at Master Huojin; his grey robe was spic and span as usual and his dark gray eyes swept the whole area as if judging the temple and its surroundings. The calmest of the three, Master Li, placed a hand on his friend's shoulder and shook his head once, "Remember Huojin, if you are patient in a moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow" he stated. Huojin scoffed and lightly brushed him aside and folded his arms on his chest, "The power of Heylin has grown more than ever. You have trained the dragon of water the longest and what we have gathered; he is the strongest among them. But water alone can't protect the world."

Master Fung said nothing before he nodded and gestured them to follow him. They all entered the main hall, the other monks bowed in the presence of the three monks, stopping whatever they were doing to show them respect and waited for them to leave before they could resume what they were doing. Fung asked them to wait in the meditation hall and poured tea for each of them. They sat there in silence, each pondering in their own thoughts before the sounds of talking and laughter came by the screen door. The four xiaolin monks and Dojo froze at the sight of the three, much older monks sitting on the tatami mat. Dojo slithered down from Omi's shoulder and went to Fung and jumped on his.

"What are you doing?" he asked in Fung's ear.

Fung waited for a moment before answering the green dragon, "We have to train them above their limits that even I can't help them achieve." Dojo looked as him with a reproachful expression and leaned his arm on Fung's head, "What about the Shen Gong Wu expedition? Those kids have been preparing for the trip since this morning!" he pointed out.

"The Shen Gong Wu retrieval mission will continue after they receive their training from the masters. If they thought they have faced the most difficult of challenges, I'm afraid they will have no hope of winning against the Heylin side with their current level."

The xiaolin dragons looked at the three monks who were looking at them from top to bottom, a tall old aged man wearing white robes with a black gi and a top knot on his head bowed at them and they immediately bowed lower. The man wearing the gray robe and white gi scoffed as he saw Kimiko who blinked in confusion as he gave her a disapproving look before he surveyed the boys with the same critical look. The last monk with the black robe however gave them a low bow as well like the white robed man; Dojo continued to hiss something in Master Fung's ear, as if they're arguing about an important matter. It looked as if Master Fung won the argument (as always), and walked in front of them and swayed a sweeping gesture to the older monks,

"My dear young monks, they are Master Min Yen, Master Huojin and Master Li, teachers of the greatest xiaolin warriors. They will be the ones to supervise Raimundo, Kimiko and Clay for training-"

"A thousand pardons Master," Omi interrupted, "But who shall supervise my training?"

"Yeah, and more importantly, weren't we gonna hunt for more Wu?" Raimundo asked, crossing his arms as Huojin gave him a short look of contempt as if he was questioning his teacher's authority. "We're ready for this Master-"

"Raimundo" Fung's voice was clear and strong, a warning but there was an unusual tone as if he was tired as well.

"How a bunch of children such as yourselves were chosen as the xiaolin dragons is beyond my comprehension but I assumed that you have enough respect to hold your tongue in the presence of your teachers." Huojin's tone was soft but venom poured out through his teeth.

Raimundo gritted his teeth and his hands unconsciously clenched and unclenched, prompting Kimiko to hold on to his sleeve with a slight shake of the head. He took a deep breath and gave a low bow at Huojin, "I apologize for my disrespectfulness. It won't happen again" he muttered but loud enough for them to hear.

Clay and Dojo frowned, this Raimundo was different from the Raimundo they know but they also know it was necessary for him to act this way. Huojin clearly was not a guy to mess with. Omi cleared his throat and took a step forward, "Masters," he started, "I've been Master Fung's best pupil and I-"

"I don't remember asking your self-evaluation results, dragon of water." Huojin grounded as he shifted his heated gaze upon Omi. The young monk seemed to have shrunk under his eyes and took a reluctant step back near Raimundo and Clay. His friends, especially Dojo, had never seen Omi so crestfallen. Usually he would prove his worth but to be put down by a master was enough for him to be silenced for a couple of hours.

"I assure you, Omi is an excellent pupil. He had exceeded all the expectations to be the xiaolin dragon of water." Master Fung was quick to defend his foster son, his posture was calm but his tone was firm.

Master Min Yen stepped forward as if he felt an oncoming fight that Huojin will instigate, "Present yourselves, young monks". He raised his hand, his skin was the texture of parchment with his veins sticking out but they also showed the experience that came in the form of battle scars that littered his palm and knuckle.

Clay stepped forward and bowed in front of them, "Clay Bailey, Wudai warrior and the dragon of earth."

Masten Li looked at him for a moment with his dark brown eyes before her gave a smile under his beard and bowed,

"An honor to meet the dragon of the earth. I shall train you the ways of your element and improve your strength and power" Li answered as he reached into the sleeve of his robe to retrieve a light brown scroll and gave it to Clay.

The teen reached for the scroll, ready to open it before Li stopped him; "You shall only be able to open that once you have completed your training young monk."

Clay stared at the scroll and fiddled with his hand as if weighing the rolled parchment before he tucked it on his ki.

Omi was next and he stood up with his back poker-straight and bowed like he was trying to touch the ground, "I am Omi. Wudai warrior and the dragon of water" he held his tongue to stop himself from adding anymore to his introduction.

They waited for any of the older monks to come forth but instead, it was Master Fung who bowed to Omi with a smile in his face, "I will be the one who shall train you young dragon"

Omi gaped at his old teacher and scratched his head, "But Master, haven't I learned all everything from you?"

Fung nodded, "Indeed I have taught you all of the ways of a xiaolin monk. However, I will train you beyond your present condition."

"Ooh! I can be stronger?" his eyes sparkled at thought of learning more from his father figure.

Master Fung just gave a noncommittal shrug before he retrieved a blue scroll with the same instruction as Clay.

It was Raimundo's turn to 'greet and meet' and he hoped to all the gods and deities of the universe that he won't get the old grump. The old man was one insult away from having a large tornado chase him all over China.

With a deep breath, he walked up and bowed his head, "Raimundo Pedrosa, Shoku warrior. Dragon of the wind, a great honor to be at the presence of our teachers." It good to suck-up sometimes, especially the grey eyed dude glaring him down. But instead of him, the one wearing the white robe also bowed.

Min Yen looked at him with smiling eyes, though he can't really tell what the old man's thinking since half of his face was covered with the longest beard he had ever seen. His topknot tied his snowy white hair and unlike the other teachers, he was wearing a pendant of the Yin and Yang symbol.

"Yes, the lone Shoku warrior and their leader. It is a treat to teach the dragon of the wind."

Raimundo sheepishly scratched the back of his head and gave a small smile, it was not everyday someone of great importance acknowledge his achievement. Omi frowned and grumbled a little while Clay and Kimiko smiled. But her smile faltered when she realized who will be her teacher. As soon as Min Yen gave him a white scroll, Kimiko shuddered; knowing that it was her turn.

"Lastly" Master Huojin barked. He was almost the same height as Yen Min and his salt and pepper moustache was almost identical to Master Fung's minus the goatee. Kimiko swallowed the lump that stuck itself in her throat. She moved stiffly and bowed low as if she was trying to make her forehead kiss the floor;

"Tohomiko Kimiko. Wudai warrior and dragon of fire."

The words flew right out of her lips as if she was being timed in. Her palms were sweaty and her knees felt as if they would buckle down if she didn't toughen the muscles behind them. She could feel his eyes just looking at her and she didn't dare to straighten up unless she was told to.

_Coercion_

That what he was doing to her. Intimidation was a necessary tool for a warrior and he was sizing her up to see if she had what it takes to train under his tutelage. Finally, she lifted her head to see him bow his head though it was more of a nod of acknowledgement than of respect.

"I am Master Huojin. I will be your master from now on." He retrieved red scroll with a gold cord tied around it. As soon as she touched the handle, he casually dropped his hold on the scroll. That was it; no reassuring words or a supportive gesture but at least he stopped looking a her with his cold eyes as he turned to Master Fung. He nodded at their unspoken conversation before he turned to the four of them.

"Young monks," he started, "Your journey to gather the Shen Gong Wu is postponed"

Omi and Raimundo opened their mouths to protest before Master Fung continued, "However, it doesn't mean that we will ignore it whenever a Shen Gong Wu activates. Each of your teachers will train you to master your element. Every five days, you will remain with your masters. You shall return here to rest and follow up with your training as a group."

He stopped for a moment and took a deep breath, "I have taught you all you need to know as xiaolin monks and despite the misgivings we've all experienced, I have never been so proud of my pupils as the four of you." Kimiko was the first to run towards him and hugged at his midriff. There was a small sniff from Clay before the cowboy joined in the hug.

Rai gave a small smile, knowing that his betrayal was part of the 'misgivings' but the past is past and they're fighting for the future.

He silently walked towards the three, restraining the laughter that wanted to burst out of him as he saw Master Fung's awkward expression and placed an arm around his shoulder and draped the other with Kimiko.

Omi just stared at their hug-scene; unsure if it was appropriate to do such an affectionate gesture in front of the masters. But Yen Min and Li looked fine, more amused in actuality. Huojin though had a disapproving look and muttered something under his breath.

"Omi, get in here!"

He looked on Raimundo, his rival, teammate, leader, friend. His brother in bond. Then to Kimiko, the only girl of the group and the nurturing sister figure she filled in for him.

"C'mon partner, we ain't gonna wait 'til next year" Clay said and held up an arm. The patient and big brotherly cowboy who was always calm and acted as the mediator.

He turned to Master Fung. Although he had a look of discomfort on his face, he gave a nod and within a second, he launched himself right between Clay and Kimiko, his arms latched around Master Fung's chest, not caring if the medallion was pressing uncomfortably to his skin.

Dojo wiped his tears with his tail before he jumped from Master Fung's shoulder to his head, coiling around the old monk's cranium.

"Nothing will ever pull us apart!"

A gruff throat clearing made them break apart and realized that they are still in audience with their new teachers. Master Fung inclined his head slightly down and said, "Yes, I apologize for that scene. Xiaolin apprentices,"

The four of them looked solely at him.

"Tonight is the last night you'll be staying with each other for a while. You may bring all the Shen Gong Wu you planned to take with you."

Omi raised his hand and Fung gestured him to continue, "But master, how will we ever going to find the Shen Gong Wu? We will be at different locations!"

Dojo snorted and crossed his arms, "Uh hello? Shen Ging Wu dragon detector here? Plus I can make a quick stop whoever's close to that area. I know where your 'location' is." He then turned to Kimiko, "Let's just say, I don't envy you kid. It won't exactly be the Bahamas."

Kimiko's face fell at his statement before Dojo 'eep'ed and snapped his snout when Huojin leered at him with a frown, "Choose your words carefully dragon. Subtlety is a key factor for victory."

Li looked outside the window and turned to them, "It seems out time has ended. We shall come for our students tomorrow. For now, I bid you farewell, xiaolin dragons."

One by one, Li, Min Yen and Huojin walked to the entrance of the building. The monks and Dojo followed them to the threshold before a large gust of wind flew by them, shielding their eyes except for Fung. When they looked up, the three masters were gone.

* * *

imiko was silent as she fixed her pack. Clothes, check. PDA, check, cellphone, most definitely check. Shen Gong Wu which contains the Star Hanabi, the Lunar Locket, the Denshi Bunny and the Ruby of Ramses, check.

Rai took a deep breath as he pushed all his stuff in his knapsack; the Shen Gong Wus were hidden carefully under his clothes and last but not the least, Ninja Fred being secured at the very top so he won't get squished. The thought actually scared him. He knew they would have to split up, it was the initial plan but to know that the days of them being apart were counted, he started to feel the gnawing of loneliness in his gut.

Surely Omi will be alright with this, heck, he'll be the only one who will stay at the temple! And before they met, the cheese ball was already used to being alone. As well as Kimiko since she's an only child and her papa's always busy with his projects.

Clay might emphasize with him a little but the cowboy can do all right being alone. He likes to meditate and peaceful surroundings.

Raimundo thrived in the company of the others. While he was with Wuya, he never felt so alone despite the rock creatures playing with him or when Wuya lavished him with numerous games and the luxury of creature comforts. Yep, he will really miss them. His eyes trailed to Kimiko.

Her black hair was held up with a scrunchy, several bangs fell on the frame of her face. Her eyes flitted from one object to another before gathering her stuff into her bag. The blue locket caught his attention as she placed it on her neck rather than inside the bag with the rest of the Wu. Her baby blue eyes connected to his emerald ones, then she quirked a brow.

He lightly scratched his cheek before opening his mouth, "Um, what's with that?"

Kimiko fiddled with the Wu before hiding it under her shirt's neckline; "It really goes with my style" she shrugged.

"You're such a girl!" Raimundo taunted, making Kimiko roll her eyes in annoyance,

"Well duh, I_ am_ a girl!"

Rai's chuckles slowly died as Clay zipped his bag pack and took off his hat. His blond hair was longer and in need of a good trimming. No doubt Kimiko would be up for it. Clay doesn't trust anyone else with his hair since Rai might do something with it and he can only trust Omi a pair of plastic scissors that can't even cut the thinnest sheet of parchment paper.

"Guess it's our last night huh?" he wondered aloud. Kimiko and Raimundo looked at each other and nodded to Clay. He sighed and ruffled his hair,

"I dunno 'bout you folks but I'm sure gonna miss all yer squabblin' and pranks. 'Specially yours Rai."

The Shoku warrior gave a proud smile and leisurely cleaned his nails with his chest, "Well I am the master prankster. Without me, life here would just be too la-me" Kimiko giggled a bit and gave a wide grin to Clay, "I'm going to miss your old western saying Clay. And your chilli was the best!" she praised.

The dragon of earth grinned as well, "Nah, 'can't take all the cred since it's Ol' Daddy Bailey's recipe!"

Raimundo crossed his arms and looked at the ceilings thoughtfully, "But I wonder, why should we be separated? We worked best as a team so what's with the personal trainers?"

"You guys are lucky" Kimiko sighed, "I got the shortest end of the stick."

"Master Huojin might not be so bad" Clay coaxed only to be rebuffed with Rai and Kimiko's 'Are-you-kidding?!' looks.

The sound of the door sliding open made them look at Omi who had a big sad face. His large eyes were akin to a puppy dog's and his hands were limp on his side. Kimiko wanted to squeal at the cuteness but the way he was acting was also heart-wrenching. The expression he displayed made Raimundo rethink his assessment entirely.

It will be Omi who will take the separation the hardest.

He now has friends he's always happy with and they will be fractionated for everyone's benefit; theirs and the world's. For Omi, five days will feel like decades, except if a Wu activates and whoever's near that area would join him to get it. Dojo seemed to know the master's secret training grounds but not all of them will permit a disturbance during training. Particularly, Master Huojin.

Raimundo stood up from his mat and walked towards Omi. He placed a hand on his head and rubbed it, which never failed to irritate the youngest monk, "Don't sweat it Omi, we'll be back here showing off our skills in no time. Plus, you're not going anywhere so don't touch any of my stuff!"

"Same goes for mine" Kimiko huffed before she offered a smile at him. She took out a smaller PDA from her pack and casually threw it at Omi. Upon reflex, Omi caught the PDA and looked at her.

"Oh, is this another game?"

"It's papa's latest prototype for 'Zombie Apocalypse', you can play with that if you get bored."

Omi pressed the button and blinked as the screen began to light up and the icon appeared. He can feel slight stinging in his eyes and mentally ordered them to return to the tear ducts. He will not breakdown. He is strong! He is the greatest! He is-

Tears slowly dripped from his chin which alerted his friends. They had never seen Omi openly weep like that and the boy looked as if he was fighting it with all he could but to no avail. Without any words, Clay marched and knelt down to Omi's level and patted his back. Rai placed a hand on his shoulder while Kimiko walked behind his shaking form and hugged him, her arms around his neck as he wiped the tears with his pajama sleeves.

"My-_hic_-my eyes might have had a contact with dust in the air-_hic_-"

None of them said a word. The only sound of zombies being shot at filled the room.

* * *

Master Fung breathed deeply as he looked at the monks' room. A breeze blew by as he closed his eyes and listened to the music of the night. He opened his eyes when he felt a weight on his shoulder.

"You really don't have to separate them ya know" Dojo casually said as he looked up at the stars. They looked so ageless and bright that he would have thought that they were the same stars that he and Dashi had looked up to upon once upon a time ago.

The monk released yet another sigh like he had been enduring a great deal of burden, "Yes they are powerful together. But they have to harness their own inner strength before they work together. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link."

Dojo looked at him with the corner of his eye before he returned his gaze on the stars, "I'm not gonna pretend to understand that, but I believe in those kids."

"As do I Dojo, as do I"

* * *

A/N: Well that's that. What do you think guys? Continue or take it down? I shall enforce my "**Review per Update**" rules. Most of you seem to know this but I will clarify: I will continue uploading chapters if I get reviews with the minimum of 3 to 5 depending on the FAVES and ALERTS. Yep, I'm a review whore so deal with it. Anyways, If you don't like it, just PM me and not just the simple "I don't like it THE END" c'mon, you should at least say why right? Oh, and no flames or I will keel you then kill you. :) Peace Out!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I'm back folks. I got a good surprise for having reviews within a week it made me so happy! So I updated earlier than intended but it's all good. I wanna shout out to the reviewers who made this update as early as possible:

Of course to start off: **VanillaStratos**: Only the best for my favorite reader x3

**Guest (Anon)**: Hahaha I don't like story being told in one point of view. Plus I love Jack. He's so adorable xD

**Guest (Anon)2**: Hahaha I was actually going for that. Thanks and I hope you'll like this!

**Scarlet-Karma**: Oooh thank you thank you Hope you'll stick around to find out!

**AssassinDevil**: Yeah, I want to build the relationship between them instead of starting with them already in one. I mean, where's the tension? The drama?

**Guest (Anon)3**: Done and done! :)

Thanks again everyone! So without any more delays; here's chapter number 2! Oh and another thing, if you guys have no accounts and reviewed as guests, can you guys put your pen name or nickname that I can properly address to because I can't really say Anonymous 1, anonymous 2 so on and so forth so ... you know?

Disclaimer: I don't own the show nor the characters. Except my OCs of course.

* * *

**Counterbalance**

Chapter II

* * *

The morning came sooner than they would have liked. Before sleeping, they all pulled their mats together so they could sleep side by side. Kimiko was the one who got the least sleep. Her mind had flitted from one thought to another, each a different matter from the other. Master Huojin and the nature of her training, the Heylin forces, the Shen Gong Wu and her friends; these were the ones that concerned her the most.

Sunlight peeked from their windows before they realized that they were already late. It was mandatory for them to rise before the sun and not before long; they scrambled to make their beds and raced to get to the bathroom first.

The smell of their meal made their stomach growl; especially Clay's which made them all laugh while Omi giggled at how his tummy was growling akin to a lion's. They were greeted by a toque-wearing Dojo who just flipped the last pancake to the stack. The buttery scent of the piled pancakes made them jump to their spot with their mouths watering.

"What happened to the porridge Dojo?" Kimiko asked as she took two and quickly sliced them. Dojo just shrugged as he took off his 'Kiss the Cook' apron which earned some snickers from Clay and Raimundo.

"I wanna make sure my little babies can eat some delicious pancakes before they fly off with their teachers" he explained as he jumped on the counter.

"Thanks Dojo" Raimundo managed to say before he stuffed a large piece in his mouth. Omi tucked into his own stack, chewing slowly compared to Clay and Raimundo. His thoughts were occupied with the scrolls that were given to them. They might not have said anything, but he was sure they tried to take a peek at it at least once. Maybe except Clay.

Raimundo couldn't resist even if he was now the leader and he knew Kimiko tried as well because he heard her mumble furiously by herself near the bathroom and quickly hid something when he approached her.

After breakfast, they did their morning routine which included lapse, tai chi and, of course, combat practice.

Raimundo didn't bother to hide his smirk as Omi fell on his butt. Omi glared at the Shoku warrior before he jumped back to his feet and demanded a rematch. Omi's attacks were quickly rebuffed with a series of blocks and he couldn't keep up with his acrobatic and dance-like moves which he once called "capoeira", something that he picked up on in his home country which was Brazil. His lifestyle from having a family in the circus business harnessed his reflexes and athletic capabilities.

With a huff, Omi wiped the side of his face with the back of his hand. He took a fighting stance and frowned harder as Raimundo feigned a bored look and even yawned before yelled out a battle cry and lunged right at him.

The Shoku warrior hid a grin as he hooked his left leg and swept Omi to the side. Omi did a handspring to catch himself and tackled his oppenent with his hand speared forward. Raimundo caught his wrist and threw him up before he jumped as well and aimed a him punch to his chest. Omi blocked his fist with his arms and placed a kick with the back of his foot.

With a wince, Raimundo picked himself from the ground and wiped the dust from his robe. He made to kick Omi on the side but the monk jumped back and retaliated with a punch on his leg. It didn't hurt much but it lessened his speed now that a numbing sensation scattered to his entire leg.

"That's pretty intense for a training exercise" Kimiko noted to Clay as they watched from the sidelines. Clay nodded as he crossed his arms, "Yep. Those two are like dogs fighting for a bone. They won't back down no matter what." The sound of a punch connecting to the flesh none too gently made him wince together with Raimundo who nursed his stomach for a second before he sent a kick to Omi.

Kimiko frowned in disapproval as their attacks grew more and more serious. "So," Clay's voice made her tear her gaze away from the duo to settle with the teen beside her,

"When are you gonna tell 'im?"

She blinked in confusion before answering him back with a question, "Tell _what_ to _whom_ Clay?"

With the corner of his mouth curving up ever so slightly, he chuckled, the action made the girl even more irate, "What?!"

"C'mom Kim. I ain't blind."

A frustrated sigh escaped her and pinched the bridge of her nose, "Clay, seriously. I'm not in a joking mood right now."

Clay's smile fell and touched his chin thoughtfully, "Hmm, I guess you really are serious. Well I'll give you a hint. It involves a certain Shoku waririor about Rai's height. Same eyes, nose, ears, that spiky hair and that smart-aleck attitude that gets him into all sorts 'a trouble."

"And how is Rai connected to all this?" she asked, intentionally ignoring his quip.

Clay looked at her like she had two heads growing on her neck before he slumped his shoulders and placed his hat between her ear and his face as he swooped down to whisper to her ear.

"Y'know, you takin' a shine to 'im for a while now?" he whispered. As soon as the words reached her ears, she quickly slapped a hand over his mouth and made a shush-ing gesture.

Even with her hand covering his mouth, she could swear he wore a Cheshire Cat smile that she hates whenever someone found something about her. Kimiko brought his face close to hers, despite his rather hulking figure and hissed,

"Would you keep it down?"

Clay gave a thumb's up to her before she released her hold over the bottom half of his face. She crossed her arms tightly to her chest and looked at the ground. Minutes ticked by before she muttered, "Was it that obvious?"

Clay lightly scratched his cheek as he turned to watch the two spar; "Naw. I just noticed you're smilin' more when Rai's around and don't think I can't tell when you two're flirting with each other."

Baby blue eyes widened at his accusations and yet another blush came forth. But this time she didn't say anything. Clay already knew what was going on and she could thank him for not teasing her but his sudden curiosity about her feelings for the xiaolin dragon of wind made her suspicious.

"Why are you so interested about it Clay?" Her eyes were transfixed with Omi who made a double backflip in midair but Clay knew she was really watching him in the corner of her eye.

Clay hummed for a moment then answered, "We won't see each other for a while. Five days might feel longer. I wanna know how strong your feelings are for Rai."

"What? You make it sound like I'm going to hurt him or something. Besides," she added a wistful smile, "It's not like I'm something special; I'm just not his type."

"Kimi...

A large hand placed itself on her head, making he look at her friend who had a large grin plastered to his lips, "You know as well as I do that you're total opposite. And not just about the whole 'I'm not his type' sentiment."

Kimiko opened her mouth to say something before Master Fung approached them with a blank face. And he was not alone. Behind him were the teachers; Min Yen and Li watched Raimundo and Omi while Huojin had his eyes shut.

Omi dodged Raimundo's leg sweep and jumped on it at mid-sweep. Omi was about to deliver the hit when he saw the four masters approach them. He jumped back and bowed his head. Rai tilted his head at Omi's action then turned to see what Omi was bowing at. In front of him was Master Fung with his hands hidden inside the sleeves of his robe, "The time has arrived young ones" he said.

Clay grimaced while Kimiko hung her head low as they walked towards Raimundo and Omi. She could see beads of sweat trickle down the side of the Brazilian's face and very, very light panting came from Omi's direction.

"I'm sure you are now ready to part with your teachers?" Master Fung asked.

Although the question was rhetorical, Raimundo wanted to shout "No" and try and at least reason with Master Fung that they can get stronger together. He turned to look at his comrades' faces but the protest bubbled down. They all have the same determination in their eyes. Surely none of them wished for this but they have to grow up and take their responsibility seriously. It was a burden they must bear as xiaolin dragons.

The older monks gathered into a small circle as if to discuss something. Kimiko took out her handkerchief from her pocket and gingerly wiped the surprised Raimundo on the face. She avoided his eyes as she patted the sweat and snapped at him when she felt his eyes linger at her too long for her comfort, "What?"

"Did you hit your head or something?" he asked with the utmost sincere confusion which made her throw the handkerchief at him with a furious look on her face. He continued to mop his face, mentally memorizing the sweet scent of her perfume, and then handed it back to her.

Kimiko looked at her used hanky with a disgusted look and said, "Give it back after you washed it first!"

A snort came from her right and saw Clay mask his laugh with a cough, "Yep, not obvious Kim" while Omi and Raimundo were lost on their conversation.

The masters suddenly faced them, each lost to his own thoughts before Master Min Yen spoke up, "We shall give you half an hour to prepare your things and say your goodbyes. Come and meet us at the meditation hall when you're finished."

They all bowed at them, "Thank you" they said in unison as if they had practiced it and walked to their room.

Master Fung's eyes trailed at Omi's slumped form. He may not be preparing for a different location but he was preparing for their oncoming separation. But Omi's strong. Although he would feel the loneliness, he was always resilient and adaptable; he can make it through this.

Master Huojin made a step forward with his hands folded across his arms, "The dragon of fire; is she pure?"

The other masters looked at him with wide eyes.

"Come now Huojin, she's merely a child!" Li reasoned out as he looked at his colleague as though he had committed blaspheme.

Master Fung's eyebrows furrowed, "Kimiko is only fifteen. And though she is a teenager, she's a mature and responsible young woman who knows better than to do something she might regret. She also knows that chastity is a must as long as she's in the temple." His tone rang out that he was daring the old monk to implicate that the girl would do something immoral. But Huojin was unperturbed as he stared at the temple,

"I would not tolerate my pupil breaking a traditional law just because she's coming of age."

Masters Min Yen and Li looked at each other before Yen Min placed a hand on Huojin, "I'm sure that they were taught to follow the rules. Isn't that right Master Fung?"

The said monk chose not to verbally reply but nodded once. He knew what Huojin's words truly meant and it was not only about one's virginity...

* * *

Clay heaved his backpack on his shoulders and adjusted the spurs on his boots, waiting for Kimiko and Raimundo to finish as Omi sat on his mat.

"Guess I'll see you guys after five days" he said. Kimiko was quick to place a smile on her face as she fastened her orange satchel on her shoulder, "It's only days, not years. No need to be dramatic." They smiled at each other before they walked out. Raimundo was the last to exit and took one good look of their room before he closed it.

"We all have individual temples and training grounds," Min Yen explained as the four dragons walked to their masters. "Each temple has its secrets that we have no knowledge of except for those who dwells in them and of course, Dojo."

Kimiko adjusted the strap of her bag as Master Huojin walked towards the willow tree and looked at it with a strange expression in his normally cold eyes. When Kimiko's eyes stayed at him for a few moments, he quickly turned to her and sent a glare that made her look at the ground.

"Hey," a voice with thick accent distracted her sudden tension.

Raimundo automatically walked towards her when the old man gave her the stink eye. No one bullies his friend and gets away with it. But Kimiko proved her toughness by forcing a fake grin and clasped her hands behind her.

"Drop a line if you can alright?" she asked.

Rai fought with everything he could to not return her affectionate gesture but ultimately failed, like always, "Sure will, if I can figure out where I'm at and your location"

Kimiko gave him a sweet smile which he reciprocated with a grin.

Min Yen placed a hand on his shoulder and said in an ancient voice, "It is time, young warrior." Raimundo nodded before he took one final look at Kimiko, then to Clay who gave him a thumb's up and lastly to Master Fung and Omi though Dojo was nowhere in sight.

* * *

A large gust flew from the east. The pressure almost blocked his ears and felt as if he was being flipped around viciously before he opened his eyes and sat down to the ground and tried to settle his tumbling stomach. When his eyes began to function normally again, he stood up and awed at the sight of his new residency. A small temple with two silver dragons circled the roof with their jaws opened as if roaring up to the sky. The grounds were mostly rocks and the grass was limited to small patches, a signboard written in Chinese characters swayed with the wind.

It was when he felt the sudden loss of breath did he noticed something different with this place, the air was thinner that he had to breathe in twice to get the same oxygen. Judging by the sheer density of it, he could very well guess that their location is high above the mountains.

But he didn't care confirm it with his master. Kim's teacher had said that subtlety is something they have to take seriously. So he checked his bag in case it opened on the way there and was relieved to see that it was all secured. Min Yen approached towards the temple's entrance; his robe was so long that Rai imagined the old one glided instead of walking. His eyes trailed towards the two sliver dragons and followed after his teacher.

* * *

Kimiko gasped for air when she fell on her left side. Her satchel fell on her head which made her groan out. Huojin stood in front of her, waiting for her to get up. Immediately, she started to regain her composure and held on her knee as her other hand was placed on her head. Her eyes squinted to analyze her surroundings only to find herself inside a cave. The whole area was dark and the only thing giving it light was the lanterns that swung in their stand.

"Keep up" a sharp order echoed on the walls. Kimiko searched for the source of the sound and saw Huojin standing on top of the stairs that was made by stones. Behind him was the outline of a temple that it looks as if it was carved from the cave's wall. Stalagmites were haphazardly pointed down at her direction and Kimiko knows that she won't stick around to find out whether they will break off or not.

The steps were steep and when she reached the top, she saw just how much she underestimated the sheer size of his residency. It was utterly massive. Rows of ivory pillars covered the courtyard and oil lamps were present in every corner. The smell of incense being lit was dominant and overpowered the scent of the earth. If she listened closely, she could hear the sound of a babbling brook that was unusual to be inside a cave.

But as much as she wanted to explore the new place she was in, she had to settle down first and not get scolded by Huojin especially since it's her first day.

The interior was even more worrisome. All the halls were built like a labyrinth. All the corridors looked the same and there were no windows. It wouldn't really surprise her if she saw the skeleton of an unwanted visitor who died because they couldn't find their way out. Huojin went ahead across the room and opened the two screen doors. It led to another courtyard. The grass was cut short and several punching bags and dummies were lined along the sandy ground. But what really caught her attention was the marks on the stone walls. There were sword marks as well as arrows that were stuck on the crags. A dark spot made her cringed when she realized it was dried blood.

"Drop your things and come here" he ordered.

"Wait, what?" she blinked in sheer confusion.

He turned around and stood in the middle of the courtyard, "Don't make me repeat myself." His posture was stiff and his voice was like a whip in the silence of his sanctuary. With a shudder, she slipped her satchel off of her shoulder and placed it carefully on the teak flooring.

Slowly, she made her way towards the middle, her heart pounded in her ears and adrenaline pumped through her veins as her mind warned her body of the approaching danger.

He turned around and looked down at her. She was merely four-nine, quite petite even for a standard Japanese height while he was a towering six footer. Kimiko gulped audibly as he held up one hand, palm faced towards her and made a gesture of pushing something to her.

Chills went through her body and her natural warmth was gone. The overwhelming need to faint clawed at the door step of her consciousness when his voice snapped her out of it.

"Be at ease, I only took some of your chi" he calmly explained and held up his hand to reveal a blue orb that was floating above mere inches from his skin. "This chi contains a part of your inner chi, the one that gives you control over the element of fire. I want to test you without any use of the flame's aid."

Kimiko gritted her teeth as he placed her chi into a glass bottle that came out of nowhere and hid it in his robe. If he wanted to see her combat skills, why did he do that? As if he read her mind, he closed his eyes and said, "I want to make sure that there won't be any... accidents. Or slip ups for that matter. Humans are fickle creatures that will do anything if they were forced to a corner."

_'You'll be the one who will be cornered!_' the voice in her mind hissed as she positioned herself in her fighting stance.

Master Huojin lifted a brow at her posture, "Master Fung has told me of your fighting style. Although it sounded... preposterous, I want to see if it is effective as he described. Then again, he's always too gracious."

He held up his hand and made a 'come' gesture to her. "Begin"

Kimiko pursed her lips before she jumped right above him with her foot pointed downward. He barely batted an eye as he dodged her attack and pushed her foot away which sent her flying to the opposite direction.

She took a different approach by jumping towards him from random directions. It was to confuse the enemy and not know where she will strike next. Her fist almost connected to his side but he caught her hand and threw her to the original spot where she was standing on. Frustration began run through her but she refused to let it out. He will be looking for that slip up and she will never give him that satisfaction.

"Is that all you've manage to do? Tell me, how did you ever attain the rank as a xiaolin apprentice?"

Fury blazed in her eyes and a cry of anger broke from her mouth. Kimiko dove right to him with a series of punches and flurries of kicks. But every punch and kick was deflected by blocks. She made a twirling motion with her foot planted firmly on to the ground, a technique she used so that a close ranged attack from the enemy would be futile.

Huojin saw through the attack and finally made his move. He jumped up directly above her and brought his left leg down and forced her to stop her spinning but she was not quick enough to avoid his attack. His leg connected to her knee which made her tear a bit.

Through her blurry vision, she didn't know what happened for the last fifteen seconds until she realized that she was on her knees and vomiting her breakfast as she held on her stomach.

Huojin shook his head in disappointment as looked away from her bent figure, "I have to admit, I had overestimated you. I thought you could withstand my attacks for five minutes. Yet you can't even make it to one."

"Wha-what did I do wrong?" Kimiko wheezed despite the rawness in her throat.

"Your first attack was reckless. Frontal assault should only be used if you know that you will succeed at the end or if you want to taunt someone or something to attack you back. While your second tactic had a decent objective, you don't have the speed nor the stealth of the dragon of wind to perform the feat. When you gave in to your frustration, your dexterity was poor and you lack the physical strength to make an opponent shatter under your fists. Your own technique which, I regretfully say; was rather effective especially if you harnessed the fire to your heels like a flaming top. But as I have demonstrated earlier, it has a weakness which was an aerial attack that can stop your momentum and pose a threat to your primary weapon. In this case, your feet."

Kimiko looked away from the remains of her breakfast and sat on the ground as the cool wind blew to her sweaty face, "Is that it?" she asked.

"No. The last actions brought me to the fact that your combat skills are subpar in comparison to a real xiaolin dragon." Kimiko opened her mouth to retort but felt a throb of pain throughout her whole body which made her curl into a ball of agony.

"When my leg connected to your knee, I used your momentary pain as a distraction before I placed several hits all over your body. Three punches on your shoulders, one near your diaphragm and one critical hit on your stomach that caused you to vomit. If this was an actual fight, I would have broken your neck as well." The way he said it was like he was talking about the weather. The girl placed her right hand on the ground and clenched the grass beneath it.

"After you clean up your mess, you may rest for fifteen minutes before you try again."

* * *

Omi sat on the grass with his eyes shut. He felt everything around him; the blades of grass that bent ever so slightly by the wind, a stray butterfly that landed on the wild flower that grew just outside the temple walls and the slithering motion of a certain dragon.

"Omii! Omi!" a muffled voice and a tug on his ki began to distract him from his meditation. With the final tug, he opened his eyes and mouth to scold Dojo. But instead of words, a shocked scream was heard as his eyes took in Dojo's sorry state. Painful hives and rashes covered his body and his face was swollen like a balloon. He could barely open his eyes and lifted a clawed hand to scratch his itchy scales, "Shen Gong Wu alert! It's the Headband of Athena! Hey, where are the others?" he asked. Omi stood up and patted his pants, "They have already gone with their teachers"

"What?! No goodbyes for me? Do you know how long it took me to make those pancakes?" Dojo huffed as he turned to his real size. The swelling lessened greatly but the hives and bumps were still there.

Took out his own stash of Shen Gong Wu and placed it in Dojo's ear, "They came sooner than expected. We shall converse later because we have to find the Headband of Athena!"

* * *

"The Headband of Athena" Jack Spicer stated as he stood on top of the broken pillar. His bots were scattered all around the ruins in Greece and the tourists ran around like ants caught in the rain when the pale boy told them to take a hike. Even the guards ran away from the sight of his clawbots. Not to mention the menacing form of the Heylin witch with glowing hands.

"Make sure you make a thorough sweep Jack. I don't want any slip ups like last time" she drawled as she leaned on an ancient wall that was covered with vines.

"How come I'm doing all the work? You can detect the Wu so why not find it yourself?" he complained.

Wuya merely lifted a brow as she continued to look at her nails, "I don't want to get my hands dirty just this once. Besides, don't you want to impress Chase?" she simply asked.

Jack choked the retort back to his throat and grumbled. He would very much like to impress Chase but he would always get to do the dirty work while the others would sit back and relax or fight amongst themselves.

"What does it do anyway?"

"The Headband of Athena grants the user look through the opponent's strategy and uses it as their advantage. It's a very important Wu so don't mess this up!"

"Well if you're so afraid of me messing up, why don't you go look for it yourself?" he grunted and crossed his arms grumpily.

"Why you ignorant-"

A sudden beep from one of his clawbots made him jump into action.

It was scanning along the rubble when it came upon the Wu's energy among the rocks. "And no xiaolin suckers in sight!" he cheered as his bots crowded around the rubble and began to dig out the Wu. Jack's happiness of looking for the Wu uninterrupted came to a screeching halt when an enormous shadow encircled above him.

"Orb of Tornami!"

A large wave of water cascaded down on him and his army of robots. Some of them began to spark and ran to each other which made Jack slap himself on the head,

"I knew I forgot to upgrade something!" With his hair and clothes dripping wet, he glared at Omi who jump on the pillars with ease.

Dojo shrunk back to his 'portable' size and scratched his body like crazy, "It's in one of those holes!"

"Holes?" Jack echoed and kicked at the bot that alerted the Wu's 'location', "You stupid bot! You got the wrong place! Agh!" He broke into a sprint as Omi stuck his hand in a hole on the mural. The mural broke into two, prompting Omi to jump back. Something white was sticking out of the cement and he made a grab for it, only to find a pale hand reach for it at the same time.

The Wu glowed and the slab of rock which it was stuck to was obliterated into pieces.

"Jack Spicer!" Omi shouted "I challenge you to a xiaolim showdown! The challenge is the last standing wins and-"

"Wait wait wait! Why do I only see one monk when there was like, four of you?"

"I require none of their assistance! I am many of a candlestick for you!"

Jack scratched his head and looked pointedly at Dojo who rubbed his chin and snapped his clawed finger, "Oooooh! Ya mean 'More than a match!'"

"Yes that too!"

An impatient growl was heard behind Jack. Wuya clicked her tongue as crossed her arms, "It doesn't matter where the others are, just get on with it!"

"Fine! I wager my Monkey Staff against your Orb of Tornami!"

"I accept. As I have stated, last one left standing wins."

"What is the challenge about?"

Omi felt his mouth curl upwards as he looked at Spicer's uneasy look, "Hand-to-hand combat, using Shen Gong Wu is forbidden!"

Jack gasped and immediately looked at Dojo, "Can he do that?!"

Dojo looked up from the book and took of his glasses, "According to Section five subsection 2A, footnote number three; it's allowed. It's under the 'In case of a physically underdeveloped opponent' page."

"What kind of book is that?!"

Everyone could hear Wuya's defeated sigh and Jack's whimpers.

* * *

A/N: Meh, not really my best work but I promise you it will get better. So what d'ya think of my OCs? I really wanna know what you think about Huojin since he's my fave. Yeah, I'm a bit of a sadist so R and R everybody. **Minimum of 4 reviews to continue and no flames!**

**ATTENTION!** I really need a beta for this one. Anyone up for it? I kinda find myself repeating several words here and it's driving me up the wall!

Toodles!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Seriously guys? That many reviews in the span of only like three days? Boy you really want an update huh? But now, a word of thanks for the people who made this update possible:

**Scarlet-Sama**: How did you frickin know?! I'm being spied on!

**Guest (Breezy)**: Hmmm it was actually part of my plot but I'm still deciding whether or not to put it because if I did place it in there… then they could have easily won and the story would be boring~ But thanks for the thoughts and it will be duly noted!

**Guest (RelievedReviewer)**: _Dayum_! Really? Really really really?! Ermigerd that is the nicest thing anyone had said about my writing prowess hahaha! I promise you, I shall flood ff with a whole lot of RaiKim stories if I managed to write them all up!

**VanillaStratos**: Hahaha it was originally supposed to take place in a volcano but then I thought, 'Bitch that's too cliché! What's next? Clay's gonna be in the Sahara desert?' So it's a good thing you guys loved the caves. I was inspired when I saw pictures of the Ice Caves in Russia.

**Guest (jada1001)** : Your wish has been granted!

**AssassinDevil**: Uhm… that is so wrong in oh so many levels. 1000 out of 10 of the major WTF?! Scale but hey, we all think of random things sometimes. Let us never dwell on that again since it's a very delicate subject matter, or maybe because I'm being such a girl.

**Guest (Anon)**: No, YOU are awesome for leaving a review!

Alright bros, get ready coz here we go! (I sounded like pewdiepie for a second there… hahaha any bros out there? Anyway, BROFIST!)

More reviews, faster updates!

Disclaimer: I don't own the original characters and Shen Gong Wus. Except for the totally awesome masters and made up Wus along with the plot line.

* * *

**Counterbalance**

Chapter III

* * *

For Omi, it was the easiest showdown in the history. As soon as it started, it ended within three minutes with Jack pleading for mercy while crying "_Uncle! Uncle_!" simultaneously. Wuya had to cover her face from embarrassment because whenever Jack tried to stand, Omi would force him back to the ground again. But apart from his sore butt that came from falling to the ground numerous times and a battered beyond recognition ego, he came out pretty much unscathed.

Dojo cheered on as Omi walked towards the dragon with two additional Shen Gong Wus on hand. Omi smiled happily at his victory but a familiar chi had his eyes scour the area. Then, he appeared. Out of the shadows, there stood the former xiaolin monk and now their greatest threat, Chase Young. The evil incarnate dressed in his armor and his reptilian eyes shone as he looked down at Omi with his hands on his side.

"I must say, I never thought Spicer could be any lower than he originally was. You may have added another Shen Gong Wu to your possession but it in the end, it will all lead up to nothing" His voice was tranquil but underneath that calm facade was a devastating storm waiting for the right moment to be unleashed. His long hair shone in a greenish black tint under the light of the sun and his lips graced a cruel smirk that made Omi keep his guard up.

"The final battle looms closer as a day passes young dragon. Last chance Omi; Join me, join the Heylin side and taste real power and victory will surely be ours" his face was dead serious even with the smile and held up his hand as an offer of a deal.

Omi looked at Chase for a fraction of a moment before he looked away and said, "No thank you."

Chase's proffered hand was clenched into a fist but his smirk did not deter. He was expecting that answer and swept his eyes upon the general area of their conversation.

"I wonder... where your friends are," his tone was hauntingly calm as if he was egging Omi to answer. He gracefully swooped down to the ground without any sound like a hawk locking down its prey and began to walk around Omi with his hands locked on his back. Dojo immediately hid under Omi's robe while he himself kept his hands up in a defensive pose.

"Well, well it seems that you all have gone to seek the Shen Gong Wu. I never would have imagined that you four will be separated just to cover more grounds. But all of this will be of no avail even if you get some extra help with your crutches."

There was no dishonest bone in Omi's body and he struggled to correct Chase's assumption but a sudden tug of skin from the hiding dragon in his robe made him look down and saw Dojo make a zipping motion on his mouth. Omi nodded and looked at the warrior with a blank look.

"We will defeat you Chase Young! After we collect all the Shen Gong Wu which we are currently on right this very moment, the Heylin side will submit to a most humiliating defeat!" his convictions were strong but his monotonous tone was a chink in his armor.

_'Honestly. This boy can't lie to save his life'_ he mused in his mind. With his back turned on his counterpart, Chase began to walk away when Omi suddenly blurted out,

"Must you really fight against us?"

Omi slapped a hand firmly against his mouth after the words flew from his mouth. He didn't want to ask that but the need to hear an answer from the 1500 year old man overpowered his rationality. He expected the man to scoff and even question his sanity or maybe even take it as a form of deal between them. He didn't expect Chase to freeze and remain silent for a minute or so before regained his ability to move again. His answer was cold and biting, "It is the destiny we must all face. Be prepared Omi, because this is a war you monks will ultimately lose."

Under the shadows of the ruins, Chase vanished without so much as a trace that he was there at all. Dojo climbed out of his robe and settled on top of his head, "What was that all about?"

Omi narrowed his eyes at the shadows where Chase disappeared to. He hoped that slight pause Chase displayed was a moment of hesitation rather than restraint. He had known the real Chase Young and a bond formed between them was almost like the brotherly ones he had with Raimundo and Clay. But if Chase proved to be as evil as he claims to be; then Omi will do whatever it takes to stop him.

"Let's go back home Dojo" he said.

* * *

"Man, this sure is tough!" Clay muttered to himself as he slowly lowered himself in a natural hot spring. Master Li's training consisted of push ups, squats and lifts. The exercises made to build up his upper body strength more.

Clay released a relieved breath as he felt the knots on his muscles unwind and the soreness at his back began to ebb away. He looked up and saw the stars peek from the sky with no idea where they were but he could pretty much tell they're in the middle of nowhere with mountains that surrounded them. He expected a barren wasteland where the sand was the only think he can see and tumbleweed here and there but he was mesmerized by the beauty of nature.

He almost fell asleep but managed to shake his head when he felt he was getting a bit too comfortable with the heat. Fainting in a hot spring and being seen by your teacher in your birthday suit is a big no-no. He stood up and placed a towel on his bottom half and raked his hand on his hair. The air was warm and comfortable enough as he walked to the dressing room and changed into his night clothes. The temple was simple. Considerably smaller than the temple back at China as he would describe it since he's pretty sure that they're not in China anymore since several plants that grew there were not native in Asia, he really had to thank his daddy for educating him with the species of plants during his earlier years. If he were to guess, he would probably say maybe in Central America.

There were only four rooms in the temple. His teacher's, the meditation hall, the storage and his room that was formerly the scroll room. The old parchments and bundles of calligraphy brushes were his roommates.

He saw Master Li's shadow against the wall panel as he went into his room. "Have a good night's rest Clay. Tomorrow we will start your training with the earth" Li said.

Clay nodded though he knew that Li couldn't see it and replied, "Yes master. I'll do my best" There was no response after that so Clay went ahead and tucked himself in a bedroll with a single candle that served as his light.

**xxxxxx**

As soon as the sun began to rise, Clay and Li were already in the training ground with Clay stifling a yawn that threatened to emerge. Li, dressed in a more casual white robe and brown loose pants with sandals, had stepped in front of the tall boy with his hands at his front.

"Tell me Clay, what is your general knowledge of the elements?"

Clay scratched his head under his hat lightly, "Master Fung had said that the four elements held the natural balance of the world and we all have our own strengths and weaknesses. That's about it" he answered honestly.

Li nodded as he leaned down; Clay was ready to catch him in case he slips though in a non-obvious way of course, and held up a parchment that laid among the grass. He opened the scroll and revealed a full page filled with Chinese characters and the four drawings of the ancient elements.

"Don't worry, I won't force you to translate this" he chuckled in good naturedly as he saw Clay's eyes follow the strokes of the characters.

He pointed at the first part which had a water drop drawing on it. "This is '_Shuî_' or 'Water' as you may know. The element of water is always moving as the currents it produced. Unbendable and unbreakable; the xiaolin dragon of water is the representation of wisdom, aptitude and empathy." He pointed his finger on the next one with the picture of a rock

"Secondly, your own element. The Earth or '_Tû_'. The earth was ever firm and strong. As the representative of the element and the xiaolin dragon of earth, Clay, you have to be the embodiment of patience, strength and stability." Clay fought a smile, it had always been his role to be the mediator of the group and it seemed that they have already begun to mold into their elements without knowing it.

Then came the picture of a cloud. He had to admit, a soft snigger escaped his mouth when imagined Raimundo's indignant face if he saw that he was being pictured as a cute puffy cloud. "Wind or '_Fêng_'. While we break away from the traditional _Wu Xing_ system that most monks had followed, the xiaolin dragon of wind was born as one of the dominant elements over metal and wood." He held up a hand as the breeze picked up its speed,

"The wind is always unpredictable and considered as the life force since all living creatures relied on the air to continue living. Its power had ranged from a gentle breeze to a devastating hurricane which made this power difficult to control. The xiaolin dragon of wind displayed kindness, the natural playfulness and intelligence. The Shoku warrior might have already shown this disposition which deemed him worthy to receive his title."

"Rai really is all of those things" Clay offered with a big grin on his face. His pride for his friend was obvious and his teacher knew it was sincere. "I'm sure after our trainings, you shall receive the rank as well" he confirmed but Clay shook his head,

"I won't lie if I say that it would be mighty fine to be a Shoku warrior but I feel like I'm not ready for that yet and there's a reason why Rai's the only one that got promoted."

Master Li was silent for a moment before he nodded and accepted Clay's answer for the time being. He folded the paper to show the last element. A thin picture of a flame was depicted.

"Lastly, Fire or '_Hûo'_. The element that was the most regarded along water in all cultures. Fire is uncontainable and destructive-" he stopped when Clay's eyes widened at the negative attribute being pointed out.

"We must understand this, although fire is destructive, the xiaolin dragon of fire must have the discipline to use their power wisely to control their rampaging element. Fire is the most dangerous of the four if fallen to the wrong hands. The xiaolin dragon of fire is the dragon of valiance, persistence and of course, bravery." He rolled the scroll into a tight furl and knotted the string around it. As he did so, Clay recollected some of the memories from one of their adventures, particularly the Birds of Paradise that told them their greatest characteristics. Omi has his loyalty, he got his strength, Raimundo's kindness and Kimiko' courage.

"Now Clay," Li suddenly stated, "Try and focus your chi all over your body. You do know Tai Chi yes?" he asked as he got into position.

Clay nodded and copied his teacher's stance, "Master Fung taught me some moves, yeah"

"I will teach you how to perfectly sync your chi to all the parts of your body. The more you can control your chi, the more you can achieve in battles."

* * *

Raimundo took another swig of water into his mouth as he wiped his forehead with his sleeves. Master Min Yen had timed his speed and reflexes with a series of obstacle courses and training dummies. The master monk nodded in satisfaction at his latest results. Thirteen seconds on the hurdles, ninety seven percent in accuracy with the test dummies and his method of using the wind's direction as his leverage.

Still, he has to improve his agility and stealth before he could celebrate. He leaned his back on the wall and sat down. It had been three days since he came here and the day that prompted him to return to the xiaolin temple was so close that he couldn't sleep. He wanted to tell his experience with them and swap stories about their masters. He wanted to know Kimiko's experience more. He could imagine her grumpy face and no doubt by this time; she was butting heads with her master.

A frown marred his face when he thought about Master Huojin. There was something about that guy he didn't like; apart from his insulting and critical persona. And the way he glared at Kimiko, he could have easily thought that the guy looked down at her since she's a girl.

He shook his head; Kimiko would prove to that guy that she earned her place just like they did so he couldn't hold her gender from her.

* * *

"_Again!_"

His tone was brutal despite his calm posture in the side of the courtyard. Here he was sipping tea on the stone bench while Kimiko does yet another set of push ups. She didn't question his methods. The first two days, he made her do all the chores but in a more outrageous scale such as cleaning the whole temple which she started at the crack of dawn and ended a few seconds before midnight. Wax the floor. Polish the pillars, twice.

And now he ordered her to do push ups and laps all day. She endured his taunts and indifference with grace, always kept her silence and her head down. It was never a good idea to question your teacher no matter how much of a jerk he was being.

Her arms screamed for a rest even for a minute. Muscles burned and her whole body shook as it tried to force itself against gravity yet again. With every stretch she made, her body plummeted to the ground. She had lost count on how many she managed to do before Huojin stood and went inside without so much as a word.

* * *

Omi focused his chi on his forehead as Master Fung instructed. He could feel the flow of chi in his body and slowly swayed his arms to a full circle; his body followed the suit and glided his right foot an inch above the ground while his left balanced his movements. He held up his right arm and pulled to the opposite side.

Vapor appeared and followed his movements with ease. He opened his eyes and melded the vapor into a circular form.

A water ball materialized from the gathered vapor and Omi clasped his hands between it, and it returned to its former material.

"Very good Omi" Master Fung praised, "You have managed to manipulate the water's form. Now, I will teach you a new move. It's in Shoku level so it will be harder to do."

"I can easily do it master!" Omi insisted.

Fung shook his head and went near the pond. He closed his eyes and positioned his hands in front of him. He performed a series of stances that Omi had never seen before.

Omi had never seen his teacher move fast and fluid. Water followed his every move and in the matter of seconds, it formed into several ice crystals and flew to the ground, embedding itself on the dirt. But it didn't stop there; the ice crystals slowly crept to the ground and the ice began to look like veins.

The water in the pond was lessened but the koi fishes were still able to swim freely. Omi watched in fascination was Master Fung held up his hand and the ice crystals melted almost immediately.

"Ooh, that is most impressive! I want to try!" Omi cheered as he rushed towards the other monk. Fung instructed his pupil to memorize the positions and let his chi flow through every part of his body.

"I have demonstrated the technique. But as the xiaolin dragon of water, the effect will be even more powerful. But this is the tool which you will be practicing on."

He pointed a small wooden bucket at which Omi scoffed at; "But master, I could surely do that to something as vast as the sea! A bucket is merely an-"

"Omi"

He slumped his shoulders and took a deep breath. With eyes closed and his aura glow in participation, he performed the stances and felt his chi move to his fingertips. The slosh of the water made him confident and he raised his hands. Minutes ticked and Omi opened one eye to see that the water retained its state, unlike the one Master Fung's demonstration. He placed the water back into the bucket and tried again. And again, and again. By the end if the fifteenth try, Omi was steaming from his ears.

"Master, how did you form the ice crystals without shaping it?" he asked as he furiously scratched his head. Master Fung hid a small cryptic smile. Omi was not one to ask for help since he was always so self-reliant. He looked up to the skies to see if Dojo had returned. It was the sixth day, which meant that the others will return from their training and Dojo will fetch them one by one.

"All I can tell young one, is to become one with the element"

"One with the element?" Omi echoed and placed a hand to his chin. An image popped into his head with him being portrayed as a fish. A sea turtle Dojo appeared next to him and said,

"Kid! Snap outta your daydreaming, the others are back!"

Omi blinked from his hallucination and gaped at Dojo, "Oh! But I must master this technique first so that I can show it to them!" He turned his back on the dragon and began to practice his stance again and muttered words like "Maybe a wrong position" or "Too fast!"

Dojo sighed as he slipped to the main hall where the three were. Clay and Raimundo talked animatedly about their experience while Kimiko preferred to sip her tea and excused herself to go to the bathroom.

"-and Master Li taught me how to gather more strength using tai chi!" Clay exclaimed while he poured himself another cup.

Rai folded his arms and grinned, "Our masters are pretty cool. Except when Master Min Yen told me to jump over a cliff."

"Uh-oh, did you pull a prank on him Rai?"

"Pfft I wish" the Shoku warrior snorted, "It was a test to see if I can fly without any use of Shen Gong Wu. Man, if I hadn't done it before, he would have pushed me off to see if I can manage to pull it in a life or death situation."

Clay choked on his tea and laughed. Dojo entered the scene with a bored look, "I expected Omi to jump around like a bouncy ball when I told 'im you guys are back but he's too busy playing with water" Clay and Raimundo looked at each other and Clay said, "Training?"

Raimundo shook his head, "Nah, maybe just showing off his new moves so that he can be Shoku too" he theorized. Dojo grunted in agreement and looked around, "Hey, where's Kimiko?"

"Went into the bathroom" Clay answered.

Dojo jumped on the cushion and scratched his belly, "Man, she's got it rough." Raimundo's eyebrows scrunched as he picked up his cup. Kimiko did look the most tired amongst all of them. Her eyes had dark shadows with bags underneath. She was the last one to be brought back to the temple and the first to greet her was naturally Raimundo.

She almost went to sleep when he enveloped his arms around her. He slyly commented about just how much she missed him which she replied with a painful pinch on his cheek. Her clothes were as extravagant as ever but it was like she put it on out of habit rather than vanity needs.

"Master Huojin's the strictest of all the masters. Man, the guy can't even take a joke or two" Dojo said as he lounged on the cushion.

"But he can't be that bad, can he?" Clay asked, "I mean, he was selected to be one of the teachers right?"

"The teachers weren't picked because of their soft and cuddly attitude like Master Fung" the dragon explained, "They were picked because of their knowledge of the elements and their fighting skills were only below Grand Master Dashi. The Fung-meister was the best of his class and knows a thing or two about martial arts." He turned to Clay, "Master Li was the green thumb of his batch and his physical prowess was scary. He was quiet and like a wallflower."

"What about Min Yen?" Rai asked, he wanted to know about his calm teacher's past.

Dojo stroked his beard and rattled his brain, "Min Yen and Huojin are in the same class. Now that I think about it, Min Yen was a lot like you; a laid back guy, cocky, lazy, rebellious, over self-confident and a prankster who would do anything to skip his chores."

Clay snickered as Raimundo pulled a face, "Admit it Rai, that does sound like you"

"Hey no interruptions!" Dojo scolded. "Now where was I? Oh yeah, Min Yen was the troublemaker while Huojin was the master's pet. Brrr, that guy's scary even when he was a kid. He was the loner and uptight that almost all kids are afraid of him except for Min Yen. Those two were always hilarious to watch."

"Woah woah woah!" Rai exclaimed and waved his arms around like a headless chicken, "You mean those two were like friends? Like _friends_ friends?"

"Yep. Min Yen follows Huojin around like a puppy since Huojin helps him outta trouble because he know he will be pulled into Min Yen's shenanigans. More like BFF's actually. Well that's what their relationship was."

Clay took another sip of his tea and noted the word, "What do you mean '_was_'? Aren't they still friends?"

Dojo quickly snapped his jaws shut when he realized his mistake. He jumped out of the cushion and quickly said, "I better take a look and see if Master Fung needs something."

"Yeah, that's original" drawled Raimundo as he looked at the hallway where Dojo disappeared to. He folded his arms and loudly wondered, "Where did Kim go?"

* * *

Kimiko shuddered as the cold water hit her face. Her breath shook as she leaned on the sink and folded her hands on her forehead. Exhaustion had already taken a toll on her and while she could handle the tough training and daily chores, she wanted to seriously train with her element. And when Huojin gave back the vital part of her chi, she felt whole again. She learned nothing except for the certainty that she needed to boost her physical strength and speed. Apart from that, nothing. Her fists clenched and the fire within her rampaged as it fed the negative emotions.

_'Calm down Kim, calm down. He's just testing you that's all. Just relax and enjoy your free time while it lasts'_ she coaxed herself into get a grip and breathed deeply. The phase 'inner peace' repeated in her brain like a mantra as she walked out of the bathroom.

An unmistakable slosh of water was heard just outside the temple, making her walk to the courtyard and watched Omi move lithely with the water around him.

It was like watching a dance where the water bended at his will and Kimiko caught herself looking on with a hint of envy. No doubt Raimundo and Clay would be talking about the great experience they had with their teachers while she was being treated like a trainee.

"Kimiko?"

Omi's voice snapped her back to reality and saw the bald monk with a questioning gaze. She plastered a smile on her lips and gave him a hug, "Hey there Omi. Got any Wu's since we left?"

"Oh yes! I have acquired the Headband of Athena and fought with Jack Spicer. Of course I had won and I also acquired the Monkey Staff." Omi's smug smirk grew as Kimiko praised his work. But he entirely left the conversation with Chase Young in the dark for now. He didn't know how everyone else would take this.

"There you are! We've been looking for you all over the place!" Raimundo's heavily accented voice interrupted their talk as he and Clay strolled to the grounds. Clay placed his big hand on Omi while Raimundo silently looked at Kimiko with the corner of his eye. She looked more cheerful than earlier and he took a mental note to tell her what they discussed with Dojo just recently.

"And what's this Shen Gong Wu we'd heard about? Dojo didn't say anything" Clay inquired as he fixed his red scarf that was tied around his neck.

With much gusto, Omi recounted his fight with Jack and how he tricked the boy genius to a hand-to-hand combat which made everyone burst into laughter. The sole female couldn't remember the last time she laughed within those five days with her master. There was air of tension between them while a bubble of warmth and comfort surrounded her while she was with her friends.

"Do you want to see the Headband of Athena? Dojo said it was part of four Shen Gong Wus that connect with each other" Omi offered them. Kimiko and Clay nodded and followed him to the Shen Gong Wu vault. But Kimiko was held back by a tanned hand that was wrapped around her pale wrist. Kimiko raised a brow at her friend but obediently let him lead the way to the lone willow tree.

"Kim, everything alright?" he asked quietly as they sat under the shade. Kimiko paused from fiddling with the hem of her shirt before she answered,

"Of course I'm alright. Why wouldn't I be?"

A deep intake of breath prompted her to stare at the dragon of wind. He leaned his back on the tree and focused his eyes directly in front of him. She studied his features and was surprised about how little she noticed. The thickness of his eyebrows, his forest green eyes that twinkled with mischievousness. The bridge of his nose to his cheekbones. His mouth that was a bit chapped and the shape of his jowls which had become more prominent as the years went by.

She was not one to be attracted by physical appearances alone but as much as she tried to deny it with herself, Raimundo was, though not model material (except in the athletics department), he can definitely turn a few heads and couple with the charm and smooth-talking, he could get any girl he wants.

And there laid the problem. It was not a secret that he was a major flirt. He would hit on pretty girls everywhere they went and it grated on her nerves even more than his prank antics. She knew he was protective of her, but mainly because she was a girl and maybe it was a code of moral or chivalry that was drilled into his brain.

_'Or maybe he sees you as a fair game_' a nasty little voice in back of her head jeered.

A painful stab to her chest responded. It was wrong of her to even insinuate something like that. Raimundo was many things but he will not toy with other people's emotions like that. Heck, he doesn't even know her still growing attraction towards him! No, this was no time to be thinking about having a love life!

A gentle prod on her forehead made her blink absent-mindedly and jumped when her companion's face was a few centimeters away from hers.

"Your head's up in the clouds _chiça_" he joked.

"Do that again and I'll burn your hair off" she threatened but Raimundo just stuck out his tongue, folded his arms behind his head and leaned on the tree.

"How was training?" Kimiko asked in an nonchalant manner. Raimundo shrugged and said, "Not much, basic combat here, elemental exercise there. You?"

"Same" she fibbed. She was going to tell him about what she had been doing, her master's cold treatment towards her and lack of any real training. She would look like a whiner and he would use it as evidence that she was not to study under him. But her pride won't let him have that satisfaction, and she will show him, show everyone that she can and will be the xiaolin dragon of fire.

* * *

A/N: That's it for now people. I hope you enjoyed a bit of a background story of the masters because they are a critical point in the story. Now about the Wu Xing system. The Xiaolin Chronicles used this that's why they got Ping-pong a role. Wind was not part of the system that's why I rejected the Wu Xing system and stayed to the ancient elements. And the 'Join me, join the Heylin Side' almost made me add, "We have Chase Young" in the dialogue. And I even imagined a picture of Chase while wearing the Uncle Sam costume. And I'm not even an American hahah.

Guys, again, thanks for the reviews. You know how I roll, the more reviews which contained opinions and thoughts makes me happier and results to more lengthy and earlier updates! **Minimum of 5 reviews for the next chappie!**

**SPOILER ALERT! Read at your own risk!**

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Random rant corner: What… why in the hell did I just learned that Kimiko has an older sister with a whacked up name?! 'Tigress Woo' with a side job that is so whacked even for a cartoon?! Why?! Tell me! C'mon guys, _Tigress Woo_?! Fuck this shit. Writers; you're totally ruining my childhood. Like Teen Titans' sequel.


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